Parachuting is used by military personnel, wildfire-fighters, and others as a vital part of their profession. Still others parachute or skydive to provide entertainment, such as at sporting events or air shows.
Whatever the reason for parachuting, safety is a primary concern. In addition to a primary parachute, most parachutists equip themselves with a secondary, or reserve, parachute. If the primary parachute malfunctions, the parachutist deploys the reserve parachute in order to land safely. The primary parachute might malfunction, for example, if it fails to open or becomes tangled during flight.
However, the safety provided by a reserve parachute is only effective if the parachutist is capable of deploying the reserve parachute. If the parachutist is incapacitated, he may not be able to deploy the reserve parachute if his primary parachute fails. A parachutist may be incapacitated, for example, if he is knocked unconscious when exiting the airplane or if he collides with another parachutist.
To provide increased safety, parachutists may carry an automatic activation device (AAD) that may be used to automatically deploy the reserve parachute if necessary. One such AAD is the widely used CYPRES™ produced by Airtec GmbH and disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,858,856 and 5,024,400, both of which are incorporated herein, in their entirety, by reference. An AAD may be installed into a parachutist's rig or equipment, and may be connected to the reserve parachute release mechanism. If a certain activating condition is met, e.g., the parachutist is in freefall below a predetermined altitude, the AAD will deploy the reserve parachute, enabling the parachutist to land safety.
While useful, currently available AADs may be improved to better meet the needs of parachutists. For example, a typical AAD can develop problems if it is exposed to water. Many parachutists land in or near water, so it is not uncommon for an AAD to get wet. For example, a parachutist may “pond swoop,” or maneuver his parachute to skim the surface of a lake or pond before landing. In another example, a parachutist may use his parachute for intentional water landings, such as, for example when giving demonstrations or performances. In another example, a military pilot may need to eject from an airplane over the ocean. Additionally, a military parachutist, such as a paratrooper, may use his parachute for military jumps, over water, or in extreme weather situations, such as rainstorms. A typical AAD, once wet, should be professionally inspected and serviced before its next use in order to determine airworthiness. This may cause delay and expense for the parachutist, and in some cases, an AAD exposed to water may be rendered completely inoperable and should be replaced.
Another drawback of conventional AADs is the time, effort, and cost required to maintain the battery. An AAD with a completely drained battery may fail to open the reserve chute. Accordingly, the battery should be maintained and checked before use. To maintain a typical battery-powered AAD, a parachutist may monitor a great deal of maintenance information, including a battery replacement due date, the number of jumps made using the battery, and the battery voltage. In addition, some AADs require a professional installer to maintain and replace the battery. This maintenance of the battery may demand time, record keeping, and considerable attention to detail.
Still another shortcoming of conventional AADs is the amount of information a parachutist must monitor to maintain the AAD itself. An AAD may be serviced periodically, and parachutists must therefore monitor and record certain information, such as the AAD serial number and due date of the next AAD maintenance. AAD maintenance can take weeks or months, so if the parachutist has little or no advance notice of when maintenance is due, he may not be prepared to lose the use of his AAD for the time necessary. Conventional AADs may not provide easy access to the serial number nor ample notice of the next AAD maintenance due date.
It is therefore desirable to provide an automatic activation device that easily adapts to use after wet conditions, simplifies maintenance, and provides convenient information monitoring.